Propolis culture



June 22, 1954 v, FRANCE 2,681,458

PROPOLIS CULTURE Filed July 12, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.4

FIG.2 5 g 35 FIG.6

INVENTOR. LLOYD v. FRANCE ATTORNEY L. V. FRANCE PROPOLIS CULTURE June22, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 12, 1950 FIGS FIG.8

FIGJO FIGH FIGJZ INVENTOR LLOYD V. FRANCE ATTA RNEY June 22, 1954 L. v.FRANCE PROPOLIS CULTURE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 12, 1950 WMH H HIH 1I 4 100M; ll I INVENTOR. LLOYDV. FRANCE FIG. l4

A ORNEY June 22, 1954 1.. v. FRANCE PROPOLIS CULTURE Filed July 12, 19505 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

LLOYD V FRANCE ATTO NEY other annoyances to the bee keeper.

Patented June 22, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PROPOLIS CULTURELloyd v. Fame; Platteville, Wis.

Application July 12, 1950, Serial No. 173,327

19 Claims.

This invention relates to bee culture, and particularly to derivation ofpropolis from bee hives. Propolis, commonly known as bee glue, is aresinous material collected by bees from trees and plants, and is bythem brought to the hive wherein they utilize it for sealing cracks andother purposes useful to their, operations. As the bees bring thismaterial in far greater .quantities than needed for their usefulpurposes,

it is found scattered all over the hive, wherein it produces cementationand damage to its severable parts, uncleanliness, misspent labor, andPropolis is however highly useful for medicinal and many industrialpurposes, and it would be much more valuable to society if it wereobtainable in sufiiciently large amounts, which is not possible nowadaysowing to absence of means, devices, and facilities for its production,ingathering, and accumulation.

The principal object of the invention is to obtain propolis in largequantities through the opapiarist, and will incidentally remedy all ofthe above mentioned disadvantages presently existing in hives.

A further object is to provide a bee hive with the aforesaid equipments,which will be conveniently and economically manufacturable,

salable at low cost, and conveniently utilizable.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings- Fig. 1 is an elevational view showing adevice utilized in connection with this invention.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the device shown in Fig. 1, butillustrating it as it appears upon its opposite side.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an end elevational view of the device as seen from the rightin Fig. 1. i Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showin f a devicewhich is a modification of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the device shown in Fig. 5, the top rail9 thereof being shown broken off for convenience in illustration. Fig. 7is a top plan view illustrating a device which is a modification of thatshown in Figs.

Fig. 8 is a top plan view similar to that in Fig. 7, but illustrating adevice which is another modification of the invention shown in Figs. 1to 4.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view illustrating a bee hive, with thehereinabove devices mounted in operative position therein.

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken on line Ill-Hi of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is an elevational view of a honey comb frame having thereininserted a device which is a modification of the invention.

Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional bottom plan view of said modification,taken on line l2l2 of Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a perspective view illustrating a hive, the walls of whichembody the invention.

Fig. 14 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the hive, taken on linel b-l4 of Fig. 1.3.

Fig. 15 is an elevational view showing a device which is a modificationof the invention.

Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional elevational view, taken on line l6l$ ofFig. 15.

Fig. 17 is a cross-sectional elevational view illustrating a bee hivecover embodying the invention.

Fig. 18 is a front elevational view of a hive, partly in cross-section,and illustrating therein the positions of the devices shown in Figs. 15,16.

Fig. 19 is a front elevational view of a device which is anothermodification of the invention, and adapted for installation exteriorlyand in front of the entrance of a hive.

Fig. 20 is a top plan view of the device shown in Fig. 19.

Fig. 21 is a side elevational view of the device shown in Fig. 19, andillustrating it as it appears when in operative position in relation tothe hive entrance.

Fig. 22 is a top plan view of a modification of the invention which isin form of a hive super.

Fig. 23 is a cross-sectional elevational view of the device shown inFig. 22, taken on line 23--23 in Fig. 22.

Fig. 24 is an elevational view illustrating the device in Figs. 22, 23as it appears when installed over a usual hive.

The device 1, Figs. 1-4, comprises a frame 2 having a length and heightapproximating those of a usual honey comb frame, in which frame 2 ismounted a metallic cloth screen 3 constituting a foraminous sheet. Toeach face 3A, 3B of the sheet 3 is secured as shown a plurality ofmoldings 4, constituting staggered partitions with gaps .5. and saidsheet is prcvided with a plurality of openings 5, I. The partitions iare made of a thickness which is no less nor greater than that of a beespace, and the openings 6, I are only sufficiently large to permit beepassage therethrough, the term bee space being more fully hereinafterdescribed.

The device 3 shown in Figs. 5, 6 is similar to the device I, Figs. 1-4,but is provided with a top rail 9 having overhanging portions l0,similar to hangers forming part of the well known type of honey combframe hereinafter shown.

The device ll shown in Fig. '7 is a modification similar to the deviceI, Fig. 3, but providing two foraminous sheets 3 each of which issimilar to sheet 3 in Fig. 1 and'separated from each other by a beespace H2. The device i3 is in turn similar to the device II, but isprovided with three sheets 3, Fig. 8, separated by bee spaces i2.

As shown in Fig. 9, the devices I, H, or is are positioned in operativestate within the hive It, by inserting one thereof between any two ofthe honey comb frames I5. The hive it may thus have placed thereintoeither the devices I, or the devices H, 13, or several of one of thesetypes and several of the others, as herein illus trated. If the devicesare made as in 1 they may be supported by resting upon short projectingbrackets IQ of front and rear walls i'i, l8, respectively, of the hive,but if the devices 8, Fig. 5, are utilized they may be supported bymerely resting their hangers it upon the rabbeted shoulders l9 of thehive, in manner of the hangers 15a. of the comb frames 15, as shown.

In the modification shown in Figs. 11, 12, the device 29 is narrowerthan those in Fig. 9, and is mountable in the forward region 2i of theplane of comb 22 of frame i5, as illustrated. The device 2e includes aframe 23, with a screen 3, openings 6, and partition moldings l, similarto those of device I, and is provided with dowel holes 24, through whichbrads may be passed for removably securing the device in the honey combframe l5.

The hive 25, Figs. 13, 14, comprises a front wall 26, rear wall 2'1, andside walls 28, each of which walls consists of two screens 3 similarto-those in devices i, H, and separated from each other by a bee space,the screens 3 and said walls being reinforced by rectangular frames 2;?and uprights 30, as shown. The inner sheet 3 of each of said walls isprovided with a plurality of openings 6, and between it and its adjacentexterior sheet 3 are located partial partitions similarly to those indevice Fig. 1.

The upper rim iii of the inner sheet 3 of each I wall 26, 21 ispreferably bent rightangularly as shown, to provide a shoulder forthereon suspending usual comb frames E5, in manner similar to that shownin Fig. 9.

The device 32, Figs. 15, 16, comprises a sheet 3 with openings 6,similarly to device i, Fig. 1, held in a frame 33 consisting of moldings34 having the thickness of a bee space. As illustrated in Fig. 18, thedevice 32 is placeable in the hive 35 either against its inner cover 36,upon its bottom board 36, or between the hive bodies 31, as shown.

The device 38, Fig. 17, constitutes a hive outer cover, comprising apair of screens 3 separated by a bee space 52, with partial partitions 4between the screens and openings 6 in lower screen is, in manner ofdevice Fig. 1, and said screens are mounted in a frame 39 serving as therim of the cover for the hive 4d.

The device 4!, Figs. 19, 20, 21, comprises a vertical board 42, a pairof screens 3 separated by bee spaces 12, said wall and screens eachhaving openings 6 and partial partitions t like those in device I, Fig.1, and the device is mount able in operative position as shown in Fig.21, upon the rails 43 of bottom board M, frontwardly of bee entrance 45of hives iii.

The device 41, in Figs. 22, 23, 24, includes a vertical cylindricalshell 58, the wall 59 of which consists of two annular screens 50separated by partitions 5! to a'distance of a bee space l2, and theouter screen is rimmed by hoops 52. The inner screen 50 is provided witha plurality of bee passage openings 6, in manner of device I, Fig. 1.When in operative state, the device 41 or two thereof are placed uponthe outer cover 53 of a hive 54 and over the usual opening 55 of theformer, as illustrated in 24, and the top of the device 41' is capped bya circular cover 55.

The hereinabove term bee space or passageway means a space of from .160inch to about one-half inch, through which the bees pass freely, andwhich are the mode of spacings required to be provided throughout thehive bee and between the various internal parts thereof.

It will be noted in Figs. 9, 18, that the devices I or 8, it or 13, 2t,32 are in all cases positioned in operative state within the said beespacings of the hive, and it will be also noted that the openings of thescreen material itself constituting the foraminous sheets 3 are lessthan .160" or less than a bee space; It is found to e in the nature ofthe worker bees to continually inspect the entire hive on lookout forany crevices, cracks, or openings, and to thereupon fill and clog up thesame with propolis for complete sealing, apparently to avoid drafts andpreserve the temperature of the interior. Also, if they encounter anypassageway space which is less than .160 inch in height or extent theworker bees will not attempt to enter it, but will proceed to fill upwith propolis such spaces, apparently unusable to them, and it is theseinstincts of the bees which are resorted to in the concept, execution,and carrying out of this invention.

In operation, assuming that the hive is equipped with most or all of theabove devices of the invention, the bees approaching the entrance 45,Fig. 21, will pass through the openings 6 of wall 32 and sheets 3, entertheir bee spaces 42, and proceed to coat and clog the sheets of thedevice ii in an effort to seal all the perforations of their screenmaterial. Those bees and others will pass through entrance t5, andthereat eucountering a device 62, Fig. 18, between the bottom board 35aand the combs 35 of hive 3?, will similarly proceed to coat and clog thesheet 3 of this device throughout its opposite faces, by passage throughits bee space openings 8. bees passing upwardly may encounter a similardevice 32, as shown, between adjacent hives 31, and so likewise coat andclog its foraminous sheet 3. The bees may then enter another hive, as ifin Fig. 9, and therein encountering devices l or i I, or 13 will passthrough their openings 6 and into their bee spaces :2 and will thereforeclog and coat with propolis both faces and all perforations of each oftheir sheets 3. It will be noted that owing to the scattereddistribution of the openings 6, partial partitions 4, and gaps 5 ofthese sheets 3, the bees will be induced to scatter and spreadthroughout each face of the sheets, under compulsion of the stag- Thegering of said openings, partitions, and gaps, and so will tend to coatall sheets 3 with propolis therethroughout.

If the combs [5 in any of the hives shown should be equipped withdevices 29, Figs. 11, 12, the bees will encounter the same and proceedto similarly coat and clog with propolis the sheets 3 of these devices.lhe bees may furthermore encounter a device 32 adjacent the inner cover36 of a hive, as in Fig. 18, and passing through the openings 6 of itssheet 3 will proceed to coat with propolis both faces of the sheettherethroughout.

Should. a hive 54 and its outer cover 53 be topped by one or moredevices 48, as in Fig. 24, the bees will pass through the usual coveropening 55 into the cylinder 48 and passing through its openings 6 willenter its bee space 12 and coat with propolis the faces and perforationsof both its annular screens 50. device 48 is usable as a honey storagesuper, without any comb frames, for producing strained honey and wax,coincidentally with the production of its said propolis. In a similarmanner, the device 38 in Fig. 1'7 will have its sheets 3 coated andclogged with propolis by the bees, Where this device is used as an outercover for a hive 40.

Where a hive body device is utilized, in place of a usual wooden hivebody I'l, Fig. 9, as provided in Figs. 13, 14, the bees will passthrough the openings 5 of its inner screens 3 and enter the bee spacesI2 of its walls 26, 27, 28, and will thenproceed to coat and clog thesheets 3 thereofover their entire faces, in the manner describedhereinabove in connection with all the other devices, in all of which aswell as in the device 25 the bees continue to deposit the propolis overthe sheets 3 until all their mesh openings or perforations areultimately scaled up.

In due course, all of the devices, I or 8, ll, [3, the devices 20, 25,32, 38, and 4|, 48 become fully filled and clogged with accumulations ofpropolis, whereupon they may be removed from the hive, the propoliscompletely cleared therefrom, and the cleaned devices may be thereafterreassembled into the hive for repetition of their functions.

The removal and clearing of the accumulated propolis from all of theaforesaid devices may be performed by various suitable methods and meansthat are well known for purposes of removal of resinous materials in drystate from surfaces, as by application of heat or solvents to thescreens 3 of the devices.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, andportions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: 1. For combination with abee hive having therein a wall, a device for propolis obtentionmountable within the hive comprising a foraminous sheet, a framing forretention of said sheet, said framing maintaining said sheet superposed9 over said wall of said hive by a distance of a bee 'nous sheet, aframing for retention of said sheet Incidentally, the

and its placement in superposition over said wall and in separation fromsaid wall by a distance of a bee space, said sheet having openings topermit bee passage therethrough and into said bee space, for inducingthe bees to coat and clog said sheet with propolis, said sheet havingwithin said bee space a plurality of partial partitions to induce thebees to traverse over a maximum area of said sheet within said space,and said device being removable from the hive for clearing it of itsaccumulated propolis.

3. For combination with a bee hive having therein a wall, a device forpropolis obtention mountable within the hive comprising a foraminoussheet, means for retention of said sheet, said means maintaining saidsheet superposed over said wall of said hive by a distance of a beespace, said sheet having openings to permit bee passage therethrough andinto said bee space, for inducing the bees to coat and clog said sheetwith propolis, and said device being removable from the hive forclearing it of its accumulated propolis.

4. For combination with a bee hive having therein a wall, a device forpropolis obtention mountable within the hive comprising a foraminoussheet, means for retention of said sheet in superposition over said walland in separation from said wall by a distance of a bee space, saidsheet having openings to permit bee passage therethrough and into saidbee space, for inducing the bees to coat and clog said sheet withpropolis, said sheet having within said bee space a plurality of partialpartitions to induce the bees to traverse over a maximum area of saidsheet within said space, and said device being removable from the hivefor clearing it of its accumulated propolis.

5. For combination with a bee hive equipped with a series of honey combretaining frames, a device for propolis obtention mountable be tween anadjoining pair of said frames comprising a foraminous sheet, a framingfor retention of said sheet and its placement between said frames and inseparation from the combs of each of said frames by a distance of a beespace, for inducing the bees to coat and clog said sheet with propolis,and said device being removable from the hive for clearing it of itsaccumulated propolis.

6. For combination with a bee hive equipped with a series of honey combretaining frames, a device for propolis obtention mountable between anadjoining pair of said frames comprising a foraminous sheet, a framingfor retention of said sheet and its placement between said frames and inseparation from the combs of each of said frames by a distance of a beespace, for inducing the bees to coat and clog said sheet with propolis,said sheet having openings to permit bee passage therethrough and intosaid bee spaces, and said device being removable from the hive forclearing it of its accumulated propolis.

'7. For combination with a bee hive equipped with a series of honey combretaining frames, a device for propolis obtention mountable between anadjoining pair of said frames comprising a foraminous sheet, a framingfor retention of said sheet and its placement between said frames and inseparation from the combs of each of said frames by a distance of a beespace, for inducing the bees to coat and clog said sheet with propolis,said sheet having on its face a plurality of partial partitions toinduce the bees to traverse over a maximum area of said face, and saiddevice being 7 removable from the hive for clearing it of itsaccumulated propolis.

8. For combination with a bee-hive equipped with a series of honey combretaining frames, of a device for propolis obtention mountable betweenan adjoining pair of said frames comprising a foraminous sheet, meansfor retention of said sheet and its placement between said frames and inseparation from the combs of each of said frames by a distance of a beespace, for inducing the bees to coat and clog said sheet with propolis,and said device being removable from the hive for clearing it of itsaccumulated propolis.

9. For combination with a bee hive equipped with a series of honey combretaining frames-of a device for propolis obtention mountable between anadjoining pair of said frames comprising a foraminous sheet, means oneach side of said sheet for retention of said sheet and its placementbetween said frames and in separation from the combs of each of saidframes by a distance of a bee space, for inducing the bees to coat andclog said sheet with propolis, said sheet having openings to permit beepassage therethrough and into said spaces, and said device beingremovable froin the hive for clearing it of its accumulated propolis.

10. For combination with a bee hive equipped with a series of honey combretaining frames, of a device for propolis obtention mountable betweenan adjoining pair of said frames comprising a forarninous sheet, meansfor retention of said sheet and its placement between said frames and inseparation from the combs of each of said frames by a distance or a beespace for inducing the bees to coat and clog said sheet with propolis,said sheet having on each of its faces a plurality of partial partitionsto induce the bees to traverse over a maximum area of said face, andsaid device being removable from the hive for clearing tance of a beespace, for inducing the bees to coat and clog said sheets with propolis,and said device being removable from the hive for clearing it of itsaccumulated propolis.

12. For combination with a bee hive equipped with a series of honey combretaining frames, of a device for propolis obtention mountable betweenanadjoining pair of said frames comprising a plurality of foraminoussheets, means for retention of said sheets and their placement betweensaid frames in separation from each other by a distance of a bee spaceand in separation from the combs of each of said frames by a distance ofa bee space, for inducing the bees to coat and clog said sheets withpropolis, said sheets having openings to permit bee passage therethroughand into said spaces, and said device being removable from the hive forclearing it of its accumulated propolis.

13. For combination with a bee hive equipped with a series of honey combretaining frames, of a device for propolis obtention mountable betweenan adjoining pair said frames comprising a plurality of foraminoussheets, means for retention of said sheets and their placement betweensaid frames in separation from each other by a distance of a bee spaceand in separation from the combs of each of said frames by a distance ofa bee space, for inducing the bees to coat and clog said sheets withpropolis, said sheets having on their faces a plurality of partialpartitions to induce the bees to traverse over a maximum area of saidfaces, and said device being removable from the hive for clearing it ofits accumulated propolis.

14. For combination with a bee hive having a front wall equipped with abee entrance, of a device for propolis obtention mountable exteriorly ofthe hive and frontwardly of said wall comrising an auxiliary wall, aforaminous sheet between said walls, means for retention of said sheetin separation from each of said walls by a distance of a bee space, forinducing the bees to coat and clog said sheet with propolis, and saiddevice being removable from the hive for clearing it of its accumulatedpropolis.

15. For combination with a bee hive having-a front wallequipped with abee entrance, of a device for propolis obtention mountable exteriorly ofthe hive and frontwardly of said wall comprising an auxiliary wall, a.foraminous sheet between said walls, means for retention of said sheetin separation from each of said walls by a distance of a bee space, forinducing the bees to coat and clog said sheet with propolis, saidauxiliary wall and said sheet having openings to permit bee passagetherethrough and into said spaces, and said device being removable fromthe hive for clearing it of its accumulated propolis.

16. For combination with a bee hive having a front wall equipped with abee entrance, of a device for propolis obtention mountable exteriorly ofthe hive and frontwardly of said wall comprising an auxiliary wall, aforaminous sheet between said walls, means for retention of said sheetin separation from each of said walls by a distance of a bee space, forinducing the bees to coat and clog said sheet with propolis, said sheethaving on its face a plurality of partial partitions to induce the beesto traverse over a maximum area of said face, and said device beingremovable from the hive for clearing it of its accumulated propolis.

17. For combination with a bee hive having a front wall equipped with abee entrance, of a device for propolis obtention mountable exteriorly ofthe hive and frontwardly'of said wall comprising an auxiliary wall, aplurality of foraminous sheets between said walls, means for retentionof said sheets in separation from each other and in separation from eachof said walls by a distance of a bee space, for inducing the bees tocoat and clog said sheets with propolis, and said device being removablefrom the hive for clearing it of its accumulated propolis.

18. For combination with a bee hive having a front wall equipped with abee entrance, of a device for propolis obtention mountable exteriorly ofthe hive and frontwardly of said wall comprising an auxiliary wall, aplurality of foraminous sheets between said walls, means for retentionof said sheets in separation from each other and in separation from eachof said walls by a distance of a bee space, for inducing the bees tocoat and clog said sheets with propolis,

said auxiliary wall and saidsheets having openings to permit bee passagetherethrough andinto said spaces, and said device being removable fromthe hive for clearing it of its accumulated propolis.

19. For combination with a bee hive havin a front wall equipped with abee entrance, of a device for propolis obtention mountable exteriorly ofthe hive and frontwardly of said wall comprising an auxiliary wall, aplurality of foraminous sheets between said walls, means for retentionof said sheets in separation from each other and in separation from eachof said walls by a distance of a bee space, for inducing the bees tocoat and clog said sheets with propolis, said sheets having on theirfaces a plurality of partial partitions to induce the bees to traverseover a maximum area of said faces, and said device being removable fromthe hive for clearing it of its accumulated propolis.

References Cited in the file Of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 519,652 Taylor May 8, 1894 838,444 Padgett Dec. 11, 19062,517,419 France Aug. 1, 1950 2,566,829 France Sept. 4, 1951

